'India to play constructive role in combating climate change'

Bonn, Nov 6 (PTI) India considers climate change a "major threat" and will play a "constructive" role in combating it, Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan today said at the crucial UN climate summit which kicked off here today under the shadow of the recent US pullout from the historic Paris agreement.

Noting that solving the "crisis" of climate change is not a question of politics but a moral obligation, Vardhan said although India's per capita emissions are only one-third of the global average, and its contribution to global stock of carbon dioxide is less than three per cent, it has still moved ahead with implementation of path breaking initiatives.

On the first day of the summit, India also called for early time-bound ratification of second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (KP II) by developed countries to ensure the highest possible mitigation efforts under the UN Convention by all countries.

The minister said India has been ambitious in its climate change actions and expects other countries to be ambitious based on their historical responsibility on the basis of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities.

He said contributions of citizens, sustainable lifestyles and climate justice provides an alternative means to address climate change which must be rigorously pursued.

"India considers climate change a major threat to our collective well-being and wishes to play a positive and constructive role in combating it.

"We have large vulnerable populations and therefore, we take the challenge seriously, especially because climate change shall put disproportionate burden on the poor and marginalised sections of the global community," he said.

The 23rd meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is scheduled to begin in Bonn from today.

After the inauguration of India Pavilion at the summit, Vardhan said countries have gathered at Conference of Parties (COP-23) in Bonn to move forward and work towards developing guidelines for efficient implementation of the Paris Agreement under the convention.

The objective of the Paris Agreement, adopted on December 12, 2015, by 195 parties to the UNFCCC is to prevent an increase in global average temperature and keep it well below 2 degree Celsius.

President Donald Trump had recently announced his decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change and renegotiate the deal that was agreed upon by over 190 countries during the previous Barack Obama administration.

Arguing that countries like China and India are benefiting the most from the Paris Agreement, Trump said that the agreement on climate change was unfair to the US as it badly hit its businesses and jobs.

"We are here with a constructive and positive approach. One of the key global objectives is to develop an inclusive world order that leaves no one behind.

"Therefore, poverty eradication is one of the most fundamental objectives that we all must work together to bestow upon the future generations a healthy and green planet," the minister said.

Elaborating on the policies and institutional mechanisms that have been launched by the government to advance India's climate actions, Vardhan said some of the initiatives include achieving about 58.3 GW of Renewable Energy Capacity out of a targeted 175 GW for 2022 and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for providing free LPG connections among others.

Meanwhile under the Pre-2020 agenda, developed countries are to ratify the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (KP II) to undertake greenhouse gas emission cuts and also provide finance and technology support to developing countries for enhancing their ambition.

In the opening plenary today, chief negotiator on climate change for India Ravi S Prasad, in his intervention, called for early time-bound ratification of KP II by developed countries to ensure the highest possible mitigation efforts under the convention by all parties.

"This agenda is of utmost importance for developing countries and is not new but was agreed upon and under discussion since 2007.

"While action on post-2020 period under the Paris Agreement has gained momentum, the discussions on pre-2020 actions have lagged behind," he said.

India put forward the point that COP 23 is "critical" and maybe the "last chance" for developing countries to fight for their right to development and the global carbon space by ensuring that the developed countries act on their pre-2020 commitments.

Meanwhile the minister, who is leading the Indian delegation, inaugurated the India Pavilion at COP 23.

India's theme for COP 23 is 'Conserving Now, Preserving Future'. PTI TDS SLB KUN